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PG&E warns public of metallic balloons creating power outages

Valentine’s Day is here and PG&E wants to warn the public that balloons can cause a lot of damage to the power grid.

Many people celebrate with helium-filled balloons. PG&E warns those balloons that contact overhead power lines can disrupt electric service for an entire neighborhood, cause significant property damage and potentially result in serious injuries.

Last year, metallic balloons caused more that 300-outages affecting electric service to nearly one hundred thousand homes in northern and central California and outages from balloons have more than doubled in the past decade. PG&E urges customers to: use caution and avoid celebrating with metallic balloons near overhead electric lines; make sure helium balloons are securely tied and weighted to prevent from floating away; when possible keep indoor and never let them be released outside; do not bundle metallic balloons together and never try to retrieve any type of balloon, kite or toy that becomes caught in a power line. Leave it alone and call PG&E at: 800-743-5000 or visit their on line link: pg&e mylar balloon safety